Yunnan Rice Noodle Soup
Enjoy the rich, savory flavors of Yunnan rice noodle soup, a comforting dish of bouncy noodles, delicious broth, and crispy vegetables. Simply irresistible!
- Prep time
- 8 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 8 oz dried rice noodles (see note 1)
- 6 oz ground pork (or beef, chicken, turkey)
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon stock (or water)
- ½ tablespoon neutral cooking oil (or lard)
- 1½ oz pickled mustard greens (finely chopped, see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan chili bean paste (aka spicy doubanjiang)
- 3 cup unsalted stock (pork or chicken)
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 oz Chinese chives (cut into sections)
- 3 oz bean sprouts
- Salt (to taste)
- Chili oil (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Parboil the noodles
- 2
*Skip this step if you’re using fresh rice noodles.
- 3
Soak dried rice noodles in cold water for 4 hours or overnight (see note 3). Drain well then put them into a pot of boiling water. Leave to cook until the noodles become 'al dente' (not yet fully cooked but can be snapped between chopsticks). Rinse them under tap water to stop further cooking. Set aside.
- 4
Season the meat
- 5
Put ground meat into a bowl. Add cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and 1 tablespoon of stock or water. Mix until it becomes a sticky mixture. Set aside.
- 6
Cook the soup
- 7
Heat oil in a wok or a pot. Stir in finely chopped pickled mustard greens. Fry for 20 seconds or so, then add Sichuan chili bean paste. Sizzle until fragrant.
- 8
Pour in stock, then add light soy sauce and sugar. Bring it to a full boil.
- 9
Use a spoon to shape a portion of the ground meat into a thin patty and carefully slide it into the soup. Repeat this process with the remaining meat. Allow the patties to simmer in the soup for 1 minute, or until they are no longer pink.
- 10
Combine the dish
- 11
Put the parboiled noodles into the soup, along with Chinese chives and bean sprouts. Leave to simmer over low heat. Once the noodles are fully cooked, give the soup a taste to decide if additional salt is necessary.
- 12
Transfer the noodle soup into two large serving bowls. Drizzle chili oil over and serve immediately.